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The second film adaptation of what I consider Graham Greene's best novel (the first on in 1958, from what I've read, made Pyle into the hero, which is tremendously amusing). It features a superb Michael Caine performance in the lead (though I think Caine is a bit old for the part, even if aging is a lot more gracious now than it was when the novel was written), and some other good work, including from Brendan Fraser, who so rarely appears in worthwhile films that it's easy to forget he has some talent. It never really goes from being a good adaptation to being a great movie, though; some key moments and sequences are a little obvious or off. Though many of the reviews I've read suggest that this is downplaying the politics in the original novel, which I don't see at all; they've even added an explicitly political epilogue, and made Pyle a more sinister figure than he was in the original.

Cinema: 23 Home Video: 59Computer: 9 (+1)

__________________
"I'm a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are!"

Good animated film about a girl who discovers that she can jump through time. It work best during the first two-thirds, when she uses her ability in every-day situations.
I thought the ending was the weakest part, when they explained why she how she got her ability (but it also led to a wonderful scene when time was stopped).

My only excuse for watchin' 17 Again is that it only cost three bucks at Wal-Mart. And, honestly, it wasn't a bad movie, but it didn't really bring anything new to the table, either. Middle-aged Matthew Perry is disappointed with how his life turned out & gets a chance to do it over again, and turns into Zac Efron.

Got into the Total Recall remake before my shift at work today. Not the best thing ever, but I was able to shut my brain off 'til a particular bit durin' the big finale sequence...won't spoil it, though.

Went to see the TQoV documentary after work tonight...what starts out as a look at a successful Florida businessman & his spouse and their construction of the largest private home in America turns into a look at how the other half lives durin' the financial crisis. Yes, his company takes a hit, and they apparently have to cut corners, but even towards the end of the documentary, she's shown gettin' botox & laser hair removal done. Wish I could be that kind of broke...

I started to watch The Jensen Project, a made for tv movie/backdoor pilot featurin' LeVar Burton, last night, but didn't finish it. I've also got a plan to see Ruby Sparks some time this week, too.

Total Recall [1990]: Finally, a home video release of this movie that doesn't look like it sat in a muddy driveway for a few months before getting to me! It's not Verhoeven's best sf work -- Starship Troopers and RoboCop are better -- but it's a solid movie. The media is less emphasized than in either of those other sf films, removing some of the satirical bite, but it still manages to be quite smart. I've seen it argued that there's conclusive evidence that Quaid is -- and isn't -- dreaming most of the movie, but the reality is that there isn't a definitive answer. The movie is all the better for it. At first, Arnold might seem woefully miscast in the leading role, but I'm glad he ended up in the film instead of someone more...well, dramatically capable. It lends the proceedings a lighter touch that's a welcome departure from movies of this sort. And it never hurts a film to have a terrific Jerry Goldsmith score behind it.

212. Faster: (✩✩✩) - DVD - An ex con known as "Driver" is released from prison, immediately finds his car and sets out to avenge his brother's death by killing those involved. Stars Dwayne Johnson. The movie takes place in Southern California, in town and in the desert. It's like a modern western and it's pretty stylish and "badass" eventhough its story isn't the clearest at times. The DVD has an alternate ending. Between the two, I prefer the one that was actually used in the movie. It was a happier one. The alternate looked like it was the springboard for a sequel.

213. This Means War: (✩✩✩½) - On Demand - After having seen The Dark Knight Rises, I wanted to see something else with Tom Hardy and this movie delivered. Two secret agents accidentally meet the same woman and unbeknownst to her, they vie for her affections. That also makes her a two-timer. The movie stars Reese Witherspoon as the woman in question. I don't like her, but I tolerated her because of the movie. What's also fun is that the other guy is played by Chris Pine, making this a Kirk vs Picard movie. So anyway, the movie is cool and a lot of fun.

214. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind: (✩✩✩½) - Live TV - Game Show host and producer Chuck Barris leads a double life as a CIA hitman. Stars Sam Rockwell and Drew Barrymore. The movie was directed by George Clooney, who also appears in the film as a shady CIA recruiter and he really hams it up in his role. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon also make cameos. The movie dragged a lot in the last two-thirds, but the concept was a good one.

215. Heavenly Creatures: (✩✩✩½) - DVD - The true story of two girls who met, became friends and killed one of their mothers. It was a decent viewing, but what really had my attention was seeing Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in their movie debuts. Melanie Lynskey is best known for her role on Two and a Half Men as Charlie's psycho ex. The movie was also directed by Peter Jackson and was released in 1994. I miss the 90s, so there's a bit of nostalgia for me there too.

216. Knight and Day: (✩✩✩) - DVD - Tom Cruise stars as a secret agent who meets and drags a woman (Cameron Diaz) on his little adventure. Tom Cruise's secret agent antics are over the top and really funny. He also shows off a lot with some of the stunts and that comes through pretty clearly. It's his ego at work, no doubt. By the way, the title doesn't make any sense, so don't expect it to be a play on anything.

217. Gettin' It: (✩✩½) - DVD - A college-aged guy wants to have sex with his girlfriend, but she won't give in. He then ends up having a lot of hot sex with an attractive 30-something woman. This is a bad movie, but I gave it a few points for having the guts to have the protagonist actually follow through with a hot steamy affair.

218. The Hoax: (✩✩✩✩) - DVD - A writer, don't remember his name, can't get his work published, so he claims to be in contact with recluse billionaire Howard Hughes and sets out to write his fake autobiography. Now he's got the attention he wants, but how long can he sustain his lie, and what will happen when Hughes gets wind of what's going on and really gets involved? Stars Richard Gere and it's a very engaging film.

Joking aside, this is an interesting film, though I'd say it's flawed. The characters regularly act in ways that are screamingly stupid, and Anna Paquin's character completely reverses her position on Sam Neill in a way that is barely explained. The acting is great, particularly from Hunter and Paquin, who both won Oscars, but a film that is primarily a character piece should have the characters make a bit more sense than this does.

Cinema: 23 Home Video: 59Computer: 10 (+1)

__________________
"I'm a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are!"

Topaz: My survey of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960s output continues, unfortunately yielding another disappointment. For the first time in decades, Hitchcock worked without any established Hollywood stars, and the talent he ultimately chose isn't all that impressive. Indeed, John Vernon as a Cuban soldier might be the worst casting decision since Charlton Heston was hired to play a Mexican in Touch of Evil. Worse than the cast, however, is the pace, which is so plodding that the film is rarely suspenseful (The Harlem Hotel sequence is the film's notable exception). The score, by Maurice Jarre, is at times mildly effective, but at others is completely inappropriate. The ending (which went through multiple revisions and reshoots) is hardly satisfying, but the real problem isn't what happens in the final moments -- it's the aimless way the movie limps to the finish line.

It's the fiftieth anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death, so that's obviously great timing to release Blu-rays of her films. This is the one that made her really famous, and, possibly excepting The Seven Year Itch, it contains the most iconic Marilyn imagery, the "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number. This is a Howard Hawks comedy, in colour this time, as opposed to all his 30s screwball comedies; it's certainly vibrant-looking. It has a lot of the same sensibility as his earlier comedies, and while I wouldn't call it a great film, it's consistently watchable.

Cinema: 23 Home Video: 60 (+1)Computer: 10

__________________
"I'm a white male, age 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me, no matter how dumb my suggestions are!"

Topaz was inspired by real events and people. The Soviet defector was modeled on Anatoli Golitsyn, Castro really visited Harlem, there was a French spy scandal, etc. The problems perceived in the movie stem from the incompatibility of theatrical/movie narrative with real life. The script did not cast aside the facts willy nilly in pursuit of a conventionally shaped tale. Nor did it find its own way to tell a true story, not least because it was controversial, potentially libelous, I suppose. Hitchcock was just the director, he couldn't replace what wasn't on the page.

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The people of this country need regime change here, not abroad.

On the contrary, Hitchcock did replace what was on the page. He fired the original novelist (who had written a draft) and hired Samuel Taylor (who had co-written Vertigo for the director) to write the movie instead. The change didn't help the film much, though, and the page doesn't save Hitchcock from at times clumsy direction. Witness the climax of the opening chase, where the girl seems to stumble into a biker like a moron, rather than out of desperation, confusion, or anything else that might look believable on screen. Witness the escape of Andre Devereaux from Cuba, secret documents in hand. Actually, don't -- Hitch chooses to play this moment off screen, rather than get any suspense out of it (despite spending considerable time setting up where the documents are supposedly hidden is his luggage, a scene that ends up wasting time showing off gadgetry rather than contributing to the whole -- no wonder the film was the longest the director ever made -- it has no discipline).

Great film, which for the most part mixes tragedy and comedy very well (except for the final shot, which I thought didn't make that much sense - I know what they were going for, but they could have achieved that differently).